Barcelona

Barcelona

A court in Barcelona has ruled that a worker's absence from her job to take her critically ill dog to be euthanised was justified on humane grounds, overturning her dismissal and highlighting evolving legal recognition of the bond between people and their companion animals. The Social Court No. 25 of Barcelona declared the disciplinary dismissal of a teleoperator improper after she missed several days of work, including one absence specifically to attend to her dog's urgent medical needs.

There's no denying that Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side of the late 2000s and early 2010s was one of the greatest of the modern era. As well as the silverware - three La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Champions Leagues among other gongs - the team's style of play, influence and legacy mean that Guardiola's team's place in the history books is secure forever.

Barcelona are interested in signing the Manchester United defender, Lisandro Martinez. The 28-year-old South American has done well since moving to Old Trafford, and Hansi Flick has identified him as an important target at the end of the season. He has a contract with Manchester United until 2027, and Fichajes has revealed that Barcelona believe now is the right time to make a move for him and sign him for a reasonable fee.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (Image credit: Getty Images) Arsenal have been rocked by Barcelona's rumoured interest in their target striker. Mikel Arteta is reportedly looking to add a new forward in the summer months, with sporting director Andrea Berta already working behind the scenes to bring his plan to fruition. The Gunners do have Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus all currently on the books, although the latter's future has been widely discussed over the last 12 months.

Barcelona midfielder Fermín López has agreed a contract extension until 2031, sources have confirmed to ESPN, ending any Chelsea interest in signing the Spain international for now. Chelsea sounded out a move for Fermín last summer and, even though a transfer never materialised, the threat of a Premier League side luring him away with a big money offer remained.

In short, it's because of a complete overhaul of the power unit, chassis and aerodynamic regulations for 2026. Such a big change, especially on the engine side, means teams need a couple of extra tests to get their heads around how to operate the new cars before the first race. It was the same last time we had a major power unit shake-up in 2014.

Barcelona suffered a major blow this morning when it was confirmed star midfielder Pedri will miss the next month due to a hamstring injury sustained against Slavia Prague last night. The Spain international was substituted 61 minutes into the 4-2 victory in the Czech capital and tests this morning at the Ciutat Esportiva showed the extent of the damage. A club statement read:

Hansi Flick still has the board's backing Despite turbulence in recent months and the constant pressure surrounding Barcelona's performance expectations, the report states that the club hierarchy continue to see Flick as the right man to guide the team through its current phase. The German coach has been tasked with overseeing a long-term rebuild marked by tight financial conditions, academy integration, and the challenge of competing with Real Madrid. They hope his tenure can be extended to avoid further managerial instability.

Liverpool and Chelsea may be interested to hear that Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is reportedly keen to offload Ronald Araujo in a squad overhaul. The Uruguay international has mostly been a key player for Barca in recent years, but it seems he is no longer considered a player trusted by Flick for the long term. As previously reported on the Daily Briefing, Araujo has had admiring glances from clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea,

His actions have not gone down well, leading to accusations of a lack of sportsmanship, and Laporta felt the France captain had not behaved correctly. He told RAC-1: "I'm surprised by what he did. In victory and defeat you have to be generous and respectful. This is sport and you must show good behaviour. I think we, in victory, were generous and respected the opposing team. That's why I can't understand it."

Barcelona were crowned Supercopa de Espana champions for a record-extending 16th time, as Raphinha's brace helped seal a 3-2 win over Clasico rivals Real Madrid. The thrilling contest in Saudi Arabia saw three goals scored in first-half stoppage time, but Raphinha's 73rd-minute winner proved to be the difference on Sunday. After missing an opportunity to open the scoring less than a minute earlier, Raphinha put Barcelona into a 36th-minute lead with a pinpoint shot into the bottom-right corner.

According to a report by Mundo Deportivo, Leon Goretzka has asked Hansi Flick if he can join FC Barcelona after his current deal with Bayern Munich expires in the summer. The 30-year-old is officially allowed to negotiate with new clubs starting from January.

Disasi has been offered to Barcelona, but the only way is a permanent transfer. Disasi cannot leave Chelsea on a loan deal. It can only be a permanent transfer. And so let's see if Barcelona will decide to proceed with this kind of option, or will they look for a different one because Disasi is still on a big salary at Chelsea,

For many people in Catalonia, the housing market no longer feels like a place to find a home - it feels like a battlefield. Rising rents, limited supply and investor-driven buying have pushed housing anxiety to the forefront of daily life. Now, the Catalan government says it wants to push back. The regional executive is preparing a new law aimed at curbing speculative property purchases, using taxation rather than outright bans.

Christensen, 29, made his first start since September in Tuesday's Copa del Rey tie against Guadalajara, scoring the first goal in the 2-0 win. However, Barça say he suffered an "unfortunate twist of the knee" this weekend, ruling him out of Sunday's LaLiga game against Villarreal and for the foreseeable future. - Sevilla's Almeyda blasts ref vs. Madrid: 'I'm not a clown' -Mbappé ties Ronaldo record for most Real Madrid goals in a year "After tests carried out on the player, a conservative course of treatment has been chosen," the club said in a short statement. "The player's recovery time will depend on his development."

Madrid president Florentino Perez used his Christmas address to draw attention to the Negreira case, the refereeing corruption charge against Barcelona. Perez referred to it as the "biggest scandal in the history of football" and called for the Blaugrana to be punished, which is the opposite of the 2024 address in which he claimed Madrid and Barcelona needed to stick together.

Barcelona have the chance to move seven points clear of Real Madrid - for 24 hours at least - when they host Osasuna this evening. Hansi Flick's men have moved through the gears in recent weeks, winning all six La Liga games since their Clasico defeat to Madrid in October. Osasuna finally ended a run of six league games without a victory when they saw off Levante 2-0 on Monday night.

Bayern Munich talisman Harry Kane is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world. In fact, he ranked at no.2 in FourFourTwo's list, transitioning seamlessly into German football over the past couple of years and, somehow, even marginally improving on his Tottenham Hotspur days. The 32-year-old has netted 113 goals and provided 29 assists in just 119 appearances for Die Roten; incredible numbers that have piqued the interest of some of Europe's top clubs.

Honestly, with the work he's doing, can you imagine if he wins something at the end of the season? I'd probably say, okay, that's okay. In my case, after almost seven years, I have achieved it with Arsenal. I think it's time to look for something else'. I would understand. Well, look, Barcelona is one of the best clubs in the world. I will return to Spain and the lifestyle is good for my family'.